The tighter the hold the less jostle,
the less change spilled,
the less you flinch.

the savory look, the wincing pause.
SLAM
and then, perhaps,
one more hit.
over and over,
til silence grows cold.

get up, energized, have fear
that your head has been pushed to its boundary.
how much can one take?
a hit to the head is more frightening than
minimum wage
no rent money
no food.
the fear that your job will fall under
with you
in the brine, in the wake,
no martini to shake
or legs to throw over third-story windows
and dream.